The Rev. Matthew Lawrence, a.k.a. The Skeptical Priest, offers a thought-provoking post explaining his personal views about the authority of the Bible. Excerpt (with extra paragraphing added):
God has not finished speaking; no text is uncorrupted or pure; “privileging” a text with a doctrine that labels it “the inspired Word of God,” when done carelessly, can lead to objectifying God, which is a form of idolatry.
Still, not all texts are equal. * * *
The closing of the Christian canon in the 4th century was a well-intended but unconscious act of cultural and political hegemony.
Yes, I believe in what I said at my ordination, that “the Bible is the inspired word of God and contains all things necessary for salvation”; in other words, God speaks through the Bible and if all one had was a Bible, it would be a sufficient guide to finding a saving relationship with the divine.
But God continues to speak through other sacred texts, as well as through great art, literature, and personal and corporate experience.
Well put. Read it all.
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